2004-10-27 The instructions on this site are outdated. Until they are updated to match the last version of the Familiar Linux distribution, I recommend to follow the instructions provided by handhelds.org.

Abstract

Why do you want to install Linux on an iPAQ?

Well, PDA (Personnal Digital Assitants) have both suporters an detractors: you can criticise the idea of keeping your data into an electronic device, that can be short of battery, that can be stolen or destroyed, using a silly small pen, instead of using your old address book...

This is not the subject here. Instead of trying to convince you of the above, the goal is clearly to have fun by installing an Open Source operating system on one of the moment's most powerfull handheld device.

Just as a reminder, here are the iPaq's technical specifications:

206MHz StrongArm processor

32 Mb of flash storage

64Mb of RAM

320x240/16384 color screen

USB/serial/infrared builtin connection

additional MD card slot

The device is delivered with Microsoft's PocketPC 2002 operating system (no choice). When you discover that a full Linux can replace it, bringing the Unix power to this small footprint wonder, then your only technician's dream is to change this situation.

Online version

The online version of the document can be found here (or here for single page).